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When you think of holiday parades, do you imagine boats all lit up sailing across the water? If you've lived in the South Shore area long enough, you do. Apollo Beach is lucky enough to have two events to put residents in the Christmas mood.
The 24th Annual Lighted Boat Parade will take place on December 15. The Tampa Bay Sailing Squadron is teaming up with the Apollo Beach Chamber to sponsor this event for area residents and visitors to enjoy.
The boats will begin cruising the waterway around 6:30 p.m. from the North Basin across the front of Surfside Blvd. Then the boats will then enter the South Channel and meander throughout various Apollo Beach canals. The parade will end about 9:30 p.m. in the Symphony Isles Canal.
To light up a boat and participate, residents must attend a mandatory registration and captain's safety meeting at 8 a.m. on December 15. The meeting will be held at the Sailing Squadron, located on Apollo Beach Blvd. Entry is free to all boaters, any size, power or sail. Commercial entries are asked to make a $100 donation. Awards will be given to the best three vessels in each category: power boats under 30 feet, power boats over 30 feet, sailboats and Best In Show. Participants will enjoy a chili cook-off and the presentation of awards immediately following the parade in the clubhouse.
Donations would be appreciated and all profits will be donated to the Apollo Beach Waterway Improvement Group to dredge the community's canals. For more information contact the Chamber at 645-1366 or Bruce Gocek from the Sailing Squadron at 245-6744.
Mark your calendars for another event scheduled for Sunday, December 16. The second annual Apollo Beach Santa Cruise will begin at 12 Noon for the southern part of Apollo Beach. This event is sponsored by the South Shore Anglers Boaters Club and is free to participate. Boats will be meeting prior to noon by the tiki bar on a private dock in Bal Harbour. Organizer Gloria Marks encourages everyone to join the fun. Marks says, "Santas on all the boats will throw biscuits to the dogs and candy to the children." For additional information, call Marks at 641-2799.
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